Junk retriever



March 6, 1962 E. A. ANDERSON 3,

JUNK RETRIEVER Filed May 29, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 6 Ww PM United States Patent 3,023,810 JUNK RETRIEVER Edwin A. Anderson, 1104 Chimney Rock Road, Houston, Tex. Filed May 29, 1957, Ser. No. 662,431 15 Claims. (Cl. 166-99) The present invention relates to a well tool.

Various devices have been proposed and are in use at the present time for attempting to recover objects from well bores. During drilling operations, it is not uncommon for debris and objects to collect in the well bore. For example, a drilling bit cone may get knocked oil and become lost in the well bore, in which event it is desirable to recover the cone before continuing drilling operations. Also, the drill pipe may become stuck in the well bore during drilling operations, whereupon it is necessary to fish the drill pipe from the well bore. This may necessitate several dilferent operations to endeavor to remove the stuck drill pipe, including if necessary, the cutting of the drill pipe to aid in effecting the removal thereof. During such cutting operations the cutter blades on the cutter may become broken and collect in the well bore, and parts of other tools used during the fishing operations, or during normal drilling operations, will, from time to time, collect in the well bore, which objects and debris must be removed before drilling operations can continue.

Also, it is desirable at times to circulate well fluids in the well bore for any one of several purposes.

Various tools have been proposed, as above mentioned, for removing objects from the well bore, or for circulating fluid in the well bore in a predetermined manner. All of such tools presently in use have certain disadvantages. For example, in the well tools or junk baskets which are used to collect debris or objects from the well bore, the fluid is circulated in the well bore and relative to the tool in a manner so that the fluid in following the path of least resistance will tend to inhibit collection of the objects or debris in the well tool.

The present invention provides a construction wherein well fluids circulated in the well bore create a suction within the well tool so as to tend to draw the objects and debris into the Well tool to be collected thereby.

As a circulating tool, the present invention functions so as to eflect the flow of the well fluids in the well bore and through the tool in a predetermined manner to aid in separating impurities and debris from the mud, while maintaining the circulation continuously during operation of the tool.

An object of the present invention is to provide a junk basket for collecting debris and foreign objects in a well bore, including a body which is hollowed to form a chamber therein, there being fluid passages in said body to direct well fluids through the body so as to create a suction in the body which reduces the pressure therein relative to the pressure existing exteriorly of the body whereby well fluids tend to move into the body so as to purge objects and debris therewith to be collected into the body.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a well tool adapted to be lowered on a well string in a well bore including a body, and jet pump means associated therewith whereby a reduced pressure may be formed within the body and the fluid thereafter circulated from the well bore and into the body so that foreign objects and debris in the well bore may be collected within the body.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a tool for circulating fluid in a well bore in a predetermined manner so as to create a reduced pressure area within the bore whereby well fluids, by reason of the greater pressure surrounding said reduced pres- Patented Mar. 6, 1962 sure area, are drawn into the reduced pressure area, and a settling basin associated with said reduced pressure area whereby foreign objects and debris in the well fluid may be settled into the settling basin.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a well tool adapted to be lowered on a well string into a well bore for recovering objects in the well bore including a body, an open lower end thereon, jet pump means mounted in the body and adapted to circulate well fluid from the body into the well bore to create a low pressure area within the body whereby well fluids and the objects in the well bore to be recovered are drawn into the open lower end of the tool.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from a consideration of the following description and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the present invention secured to the lower end of a well string;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of FIG 1 illustrating in more detail the arrangement of the means in the tool for creating a low pressure area within the tool;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the tool illustrating a modification thereof;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the present invention positioned within the well casing in the well bore and telescopically receiving the stuck pipe therein; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a retrievable ball adapted to be lowered into the tool.

In FIG. 1 the invention is generally denoted by the numeral 2 and is shown as including the body 3 which may be of any suitable length, said body being shown hollowed so as to form the chamber 4 therein. The upper end 5 of the body 3 is open as illustrated at 6, such opening 6 serving to communicate the tool 2 with the passage 7 in the pipe 8 to which the tool is secured by any suitable means such as the threaded connection as illustrated at 9.

The lower end 10 of the body 3 is open as illustrated at 11, whereby objects within the well bore may move into the lower portion 12 of the chamber 4. It is to be noted that the opening 11 is full size, that is, it is not a reduced opening and this is advantageous, in that the objects and debris in the well bore may be more easily collected within the lower end 12 of the chamber 4 than would be the case in a tool where the opening 11 is substantially reduced, as do some present forms of tools used for collecting debris and objects from the well bore.

A fitting 13 is arranged in the body 3, which fitting is provided with a plurality of radially spaced openings 14 which communicate with the well string 8 connected to the body 3, whereby well fluid may be circulated to the tool as will be more particularly described hereinafter. It will be noted that the fitting 13 is illustrated as being provided with four of the radially spaced openings 14, as well as the opening 15 extending substantially centrally thereof. However, it is obvious that any suitable number of openings, as desired, could be provided in the fitting 13 without departing from the scope of the invention. It will be noted that the projection 16 on the inner periphery of the body 3 defines a shoulder 17 which is adapted to receive and support the fitting 13. The fitting 13 includes the projection 18 which is adapted to rest on the shoulder 17, and the body 19 is integrally formed with the projection 18, the openings 14 and 15 extending through the body portion 19 as illustrated in the drawings. It will be noted that the fitting 13 is of the suitable diameter so that it may be placed in position on the shoulder 17, the pin 20 on the projection 18 on one side thereof being adapted to fit in the opening 21 in the projection 16,

whereby the fitting 13 aligns the openings 14 in the body in a predetermined manner.

By reason of the above alignment or positioning of member 13 relative to body 3, the nozzles 22 which are secured in the radially spaced passages or openings 14 in the fitting 13, in turn communicate with the venturi nozzles 23 mounted in the body 3 of the tool 2 which are directed outwardly of the body 3 as shown in the drawings.

As illustrated in the drawings, the chamber 4 extends substantially throughout the length of the body 3 and, of course, communicates with the lower end of the tool by means of the opening 11. Suitable means are disposed adjacent the lower end of the tool, as illustrated generally at 25 for trapping larger objects in the lower end 12 of the chamber 4. The means 25 includes a plurality'of fingers or projections 26 which are mounted in the body 3 on the pivot pins 27. The fingers or pro jections 26 are spring loaded as illustrated at 28, whereby they are urged to the position shown at 29 in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The spring means 28 accommodates movement of the fingers or projections 26 so that large objects can move from the well bore into the lower end 12 of the chamber 4, the movement of the fingers 26 being illustrated by dotted lines 30. After the debris or objects have moved into the chamber, the fingers or projections 26 automatically move downwardly to their original position so as to trap the debris within the body 3 of the tool.

Additional trap means are illustrated at 31 for collecting debris from the well bore in the tool 2, such trap being shown in the form of the bell shaped member 32, which may be mounted in the housing or body 3 in any suitable manner as illustrated in the drawings, and is spaced from the venturi nozzles 23 positioned thereabove in the body 3 of the tool.

It will be noted that the body 19 of the fitting 13 is illustrated as including the elongated projection 33 on which is mounted by any suitable means such as welding or the like, a screen 34 for screening the well fluids as they pass through the body 3. In FIG. 3 of the drawings, the elongated projection 33 is eliminated, as is the screen 34 in the form of the invention illustrated therein.

While it is believed that the operation of the invention is apparent by reason of the foregoing description, it will be assumed that the tool 2 is secured to the well string 8 as illustratedin FIG. 1 of the drawings and is lowered into the well bore for retrieving objects from the well bore. As the device is lowered into the well bore, normal circulation of well fluids, such as drilling mud and the like, will be continued through the passage 7, the passage 6 and the passages 14 and in the fitting 13. If desired, the central port or passage 15 may be made larger relative to the passages 14 so that well fluids will tend to pass through passage 15 as the device is lowered into the well bore, whereupon such fluids are discharged through the lower open end 35 of the projection 33 to be discharged out the open end 11 of the body 3. Of course, some fluid will pass through the nozzles 22 to be discharged through the venturi nozzles 23 as the device is being lowered into the well bore.

When the device has reached the desired location in the well bore, normally on bottom, at which it is desired to recover the debris and foreign objects from the well bore, a ball as illustrated by dotted line 36 may be dropped in the well bore so as to seat on the seat 37 surrounding the port or passage 15. When this occurs, the well fluids, such as the drilling muds, are thereafter directed through the ports or passages 14 to the jets 22. The construction of the present invention including the jets 22 and the jet nozzles 23, in effect, form jet pumps generally designated by the numeral 38 and as fluid is discharged through the jet nozzle 22 and into the venturi nozzle 23, a suction is created in the chamber 4 adjacent the upper portion 39 thereof. This suction, in eflect, creates a reduced pressure area within the tool 3, relative to the pressure existing in the well bore exteriorly of the body 3 of the tool. As the well fluids are discharged through the venturi nozzles 23, they are circulated downwardly through the well bore and the reduced pressure area 39 tends to draw the fluids back into the tool through the lower open end 11 thereof. This movement of the well fluid also encourages movement of the debris and foreign objects into the lower end 12 of the chamber 4 to be collected within the body 3 of the tool. The fluids thereafter move upwardly through the tool through the bell shaped member 12 and pass through the screen 34. The screen 34 separates other foreign materials which may be floating in the mud or drilling fluid thereafter so that they may separate and settle around the sides of the bell shaped member 32 as illustrated at 40 in FIG. 3. The size of the chamber 4 in relation to the opening 41 in the bell shaped member 32 relative to the size of the chamber 4 causes the fluids to decrease in velocity as they pass through the tool andinto the reduced pressure area 39 of the chamber 4. The reduction of velocity enables the materials to separate by gravity from the well fluid whereby they may be collected in the settling basin 42 defined by the space between the exterior of the member 32 and the interior walls of the housing 3.

As previously mentioned, the body 3 may be of any desired length and it will be noted that the drawings are broken to illustrate this fact. The present invention may be thus utilized in the well bore until it is believed that all of the debris and foreign objects in the bottom of the well have been recovered. To further aid in recovery of the objects, which sometimes may sink into the mud at the bottom of the well bore, cutter teeth 43 are provided on the bottom of the shoe 44 which is secured to the housing 3 by any suitable means as illustrated at 45, the shoe 44, in effect, forming a part of the body or housing 3. The drill string may be rotated while mud is pumped downwardly therethrough, whereupon the teeth 43 sink into the mud at the bottom of the Well bore and since the pressure within the body is less than the pressure exteriorly of the body, and more specifically since the pressure in the upper portion 39 of the chamber 4 is reduced, the cuttings from the bottom of the well, as well as the drilling fluid will tend to move upwardly Within the body 3. When this occurs, the larger objects will be collected in the lower portion 12 of chamber 4 while the fluids upon moving through the bell shaped chamber 32 and the screen 34, are separated from foreign objects therein. The well fluid will thereafter be discharged through the venturi nozzles 23. This procedure may be continued until all of the objects have been recovered from the well bore. Thereafter the tool may be removed from the well bore and normal drilling operations continued.

In FIG. 4 of the drawings, the invention is illustrated as being used to circulate mud fluid in the well bore in a predetermined manner and to separate or collect debris from the mud fluid prior to circulating the mud upwardly through the well bore. As previously discussed, when a pipe becomes stuck in a well bore, it may become necessary to use various tools including cutting tools, in an endeavor to effect release of the stuck pipe. Tools presently employed in fishing operations generally are provided with tungsten carbide particles on the surface thereof to' improve the cutting efliciency of the tools. Sometimes these tungsten carbide particles become dislodged from the tools and drop off into the well bore. If they are circulated in the mud stream, they act as cutting surfaces and if the volume of tungsten carbide particles thus present in the drilling fluid is suflicient, the casing and other well pipe in the well bore may be damaged as the mud fluid carries the tungsten carbide particles up to the surface. 7

The present invention overcomes this problem, in' that it circulates the drilling mud in a predetermined manner to aid in eflecting separation of these harmful foreign substances from the drilling fluid prior to circulating the drilling mud back up through the well bore to the surface of the earth.

In FIG. 4 a stuck pipe is illustrated at 50. The present invention illustrated generally by the numeral 2 is shown as being provided with a shoe 45, with the teeth 43 thereon. The casing in the well bore is illustrated at 51 and a packer in the casing is illustrated at 52. The stuck pipe 50, for purposes of illustration, may represent tubing, with the packer 52 serving as a means for sealing off between the tubing 50 and casing 51. In order to recover the pipe 50, it is necessary to cut away the packer 52, and rotation of the drill string 8 to which the invention 2 is secured will cause the body 2 and the teeth 43 thereon to rotate, whereupon the packer 52 will gradually be cut away. However, it would not be unusual for the pipe 50 to be cut by means of a cutting tool employing carbide cutting particles thereon which may have become dislodged from the cutting tool during the operation thereof and to prevent their circulation up through the well bore and possible damage to the casing 51 as they are thus circulated upwardly the present invention may be employed. In FIG. 4, the housing 3 may be as much as two, three, four or even five hundred feet long and when the ball illustrated at 53 is dropped into the well bore, it will seat on the seat 37 of opening 15 in fitting 13 so that drilling fluids will thereafter circulate through the Openings 14 to be discharged through the jet nozzles 22 and venturi nozzles 23.

Thus, the jet pump means 38 are actuated so that the low pressure area is created within the well bore as previously discussed with regard to FIG. 1. The well fluids discharging from the venturi nozzles 23 are passed into the annulus 55 exteriorly of the body 3 of the tool and passed downwardly in the well bore to be drawn into the lower open end 11 of the body 3. Since the low pressure area 39 is created in the tool 2 and above the point of entry of the well fluids at the lower end thereof, the well fluids are drawn upwardly through the tool and passed through the bell shaped member 32, as previously described. The increase in volume of the portion 39 of the chamber 4 relative to the size of the opening 41 in the member 32, causes the velocity of the well fluids to be materially reduced so that the carbide particles therein may be settled by gravity into the settling basin illustrated at 42. The well fluids are thereafter discharged through the jet pump means 38 as illustrated by the arrows in FIG. 4 of the drawings. Obviously, some of the well fluids will be again recirculated down through the well bore to be resubjected to the treatment, while certain of the well fluids will be passed upwardly through the well bore to the surface of the earth.

However, the heavier particles of foreign substances in the mud will normally move downwardly in the well bore to pass through the open end 11 of the body 3 and up through the tool where they may be collected. Thereafter the drilling mud may be discharged through the venturi nozzles 23 and passed upwardly through the casing 51 to the surface of the earth without effecting any harmful results by reason of the carbide particles in the drilling mud.

The ball means 53 is illustrated as being provided with a fishing neck 60 so that if desired, a retrievable member as illustrated at 61 may be used to engage underneath the upper head portion 60, which rests on the neck 60 to withdraw the ball 53 from the well bore. The operating tool 61 is well known in the art and a detailed discussion as to the construction and function thereof is believed to be unnecessary. The Composite Catalog 21st Edition, 1955-1956, page 4341, FIGS. 317 and 383 illustrates a form of the operating tool 61.

Removal of the ball 53 off the opening 15 may be desired in certain situations where it is desirable to pass other tools down through the well string 8 to efiect, or to attempt to efiect further release of the stuck pipe 50. For

example, a string shot may be lowered down through the well string 8, and through opening 15 for the purpose of efiecting release of the stuck object.

From the foregoing description, it can be appreciated that the present invention provides a tool wherein pump means are associated therewith to create a reduced pressure within the tool so as to effect movement of the mud fluids in the well bore through the tool to encourage objects in the well bore to move with the fluid into the lower open end 11 of the housing or body 3. Also, circulation of the drilling fluids in the well bore may be accomplished by the present invention, since the jet pump means 38 positively creates a reduced pressure or a reduced pressure area in the chamber 4 interiorly of the housing 3 relative to the pressure within the well bore 3. This causes the well fluids to be discharged from the drilling string 8 through the jet pump means 38, to flow downwardly through the well bore and to thereafter be picked up in the open lower end 11 and to flow upwardly through the body 3 to be thereafter discharged through the jet pump means 38. A certain portion of the fluid will recirculate in this manner while other portions of the drilling fluid will return to the earths surface.

The trap means -25 and 31 effectively collects the debris in the present invention, the trap means 25 serving to retain the larger pieces of junk or debris in the portion 12 of the chamber 4, while the trap 31 acts as a colllection or settling basin to effect removal of smaller particles of debris and foreign objects from the drilling fluid as the drilling fluid passes through the tool.

The opening 15 in the device permits well fluids to be circulated from the well string 8 through opening 15 and out through the opening 11 in the bottom of the device so as to clean out, or flush out shale, etc., from the tool prior to dropping the ball 36 to start the jet pumps 38.

If desired, the nozzles 22 or other parts of the jet pump means 38 may be formed of wear resistant, hardened mamaterial.

Broadly the present invention relates to a tool for recovering objects from a well bore and to a tool for circulating the drilling fluids in the well bore in a predetermined manner.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tool adapted to be lowered into a well bore on a well string for recovering objects in a well bore, a body, a fluid passage therein for communication with the well string thereabove, an open lower end in said body, said body including a chamber therein communicating with said lower open body end, nozzles in the tool, means supporting said nozzles for communicating with said fluid passage, venturi nozzles mounted in said body to communicate at one end with said chamber and at the other end exteriorly of said body, said first named nozzles being directed into the end of said venturi nozzles communicating with said chamber whereby fluid discharged from said fluid passage through said first named nozzles and into said venturi nozzles creates a suction within said chamber to draw fluid up into said lower open end from the well bore to aid in bringing objects into the tool from the well bore.

2. The invention recited in claim 1 including additional means to trap the objects in said body.

3. A well tool for securing to a well string to be lowered into a well bore to recover objects therein including an elongated hollow body open at both its upper and lower ends, a fitting mounted in said body, said fitting having passage means for communicating with the well string thereabove whereby fluid may be conducted from the well string through said fitting, nozzles mounted in said fitting, venturi nozzles mounted in said body to communicate exteriorly of said body and into which said first mentioned nozzles are directed, there being a space between said first mentioned nozzles and venturi nozzles whereby fluid discharged from said first mentioned nozzles into said venturi nozzles develops a suction within said basin, and additional means adjacent said open lower end' to trap objects within said body.

9 4. The invention recited in claim 3 wherein said last named means includes a plurality of radially extending spring loaded members secured to said body and adapted to open to permit objects to pass into said open lower end of said body but preventing passage of said objects back out said open lower end.

5. In a well tool for securing to a well string to be lowered into a well bore to recover objects therein, an elongated hollow body open at both its upper and lower ends, a fitting between the ends of said body, said fitting having passage means for conducting fluid from the well string therethrough, nozzles mounted in said fitting through which the well fluid is conducted, venturi nozzles radially mounted in said body and directed outwardly thereof, said first mentioned nozzles being aligned with and spaced relative to said venturi nozzles whereby fluid discharged from said first mentionednozzles into said venturi nozzles develops a suction within said hollow body and may thereafter be discharged into the well bore exteriorly of said body. 7

6. The invention set forth in claim including means to retain objects which move into said body.

7. The invention recited in claim 5 including a settling basin in said body whereby objects in the well fluid may settle into said basin.

8. In a tool adapted to be lowered into a well bore on,

a well string, a body, said body having an open lower end, said body including a chamber therein communicating with said open lower end of said body, means formed in said body at a point spaced above the open lower end of said body for conducting fluid from the well string to the exterior of said body, said fluid conducting means including jet pump means, said jet pump means being directed generally outward and in fluid communication with said fluid conducting means and with said chamber to create a reduced pressure in said chamber.

9. In a tool adapted to be lowered into a well bore on a well string, a body, said body having a fluid passage opening through its lower end, said body including a chamber therein communicating with said fluid passage.

opening, means formed in said body above said fluid 'passage opening for conducting fluid from the well string to the exterior of said body, said fluid conducting means,

including jet pump means, said jet pump means being. directed generally outward and in fluid communication with said fluid conducting means and with said chamber.

10. The invention set forth in claim 9 including cutter means mounted on the lower end of said body.

11. In a well tool adapted to be lowered into a well bore on a well string for recovering objects in the well bore, a body, a lower open end thereon, fluid conducting means in said body communicating with the well string whereby fluid may be circulated to flush said body, said body including a chamber therein communicating with said lower open body end, means operable to close off:

" a portion of said fluid conducting means, and said fluid conducting means including nozzle means in fluid communication therewith to jet fluid through said chamber and outwardly of said body into the well bore to create a reduced pressure within said body whereby objects in the 'well bore are urged into said body.

12. In a tool adapted to be lowered into a Well bore on a well string, a body, fluid conducting passage means in said body for communicating with the well string, an open lower end on said body, said body including a chamber therein for communicating with said open lower end, jet pump means including nozzle means for discharging fluid from said passage means into said chamber and venturi nozzle means for discharging fluid from said first named nozzle means and said chamber exteriorly of said body into said well bore to create a reduced pressure within said chamber.

13. A tool for circulating fluids including a body, said body having a fluid passage opening communicating with its upper and lower ends, said body having a chamber communicating with said lower end fluid passage opening of said body, means formed in said body between said upper and lower fluid passage openings of said body for conducting fluid from the upper fluid passage opening of said body to the exterior of said body, said fluid conducting means including jet pump means, said jet pump means being directed generally outward and in fluid communication with said fluid conducting means and with said chamber.

14. The invention set forth in claim 11 including means to retain objects which move into said body.

15. A tool for circulating fluids including a body, said body having an open lower end, said body including a chamber therein communicating with said open lower end of said body, means formed in said body above the open lower end of said body for conducting fluid from above said means to the exterior of said body, said fluid conducting means including jet pump means, said jet pump means being directed generally outward and in fluid communication with said fluid conducting means and with said chamber. a

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,550,080 Moore Apr. 24, 1951 2,556,849 Nolley et al June 12, 1951 2,606,620 Deely Aug. 12, 1952 2,638,988 Williams May 19,1953 2,645,290 Fortenberry July 14, 1953 2,660,250 Gage g Nov. 24, 1953 2,675,879 Middleton Apr. 20, 1954' 2,751,010 Traham June 19, 1956 2,797,755 Bobo June 2, 1957 

